Each group of protest craft paddled out to a roar of support, none more so than a contingent of canoes from the Pacific Islands.

Piloting the channel in a wooden outrigger canoe, Teddy Pelasio described life in his tiny, cyclone-battered home of Tokelau as “breakfast: fish, lunch: fish, dinner: fish”.

“What else can we do [but protest]? We’ve got no power, so we’ve got to ask the big boys like Australia,” said Mr Pelasio, who believed many of his 1400 countrymen and women would soon live in Australia and New Zealand.

“Are they going to let us drown? We’re just asking.”

Judith Leslie, John Krey and Anne Maree McLaughlin, who for the past six years have become anti-mine campaigners in their hometown of Bulga, joined the protest.

“It’s a bigger issue than just our local one,” Mr Krey said.

A man, who only wanted to be identified as Mark from New Lambton was out with family at Nobbys on Sunday.

“Don’t they realise they’re affecting people’s livelihoods?” he said.

“Like it’s fine to paddle out there and scream and yell, but someone else is footing the bill.